New York: A 66-year-old Sikh man died of his head injuries after being assaulted after a minor car accident, the second attack against a Sikh person within a week in New York.
Jasmer Singh was attacked by 30-year-old Gilbert Augustin after their vehicles collided in Queens here last Thursday.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams has condemned the incident and vowed to protect the community.
“Jasmer Singh loved his city and deserved so much more than his tragic death. On behalf of all New Yorkers, I want our Sikh community to know you have more than our condolences. You have our sacred vow that we reject the hatred that took this innocent life and we will protect you,” Adams said in a post on X.
“Our team will be meeting with Sikh leaders this week to discuss the needs of this critical community in this challenging moment,” Adams said.
Singh’s death was the second tragic incident in about a week against Sikhs here.
Last week, a 19-year-old Sikh boy was assaulted while he was riding the bus in Richmond Hill and was headed to a Gurudwara. Christopher Philippeaux, 26 punched the teenager in the back of the head, tried to knock off his turban and told him “We don’t wear that in this country.” Philippeaux has been arraigned in Queens Criminal Court and charged with assault in the third degree as a hate crime and aggravated harassment in the second degree, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
A report in the New York Daily News said that police at the NYPD’s 102 Precinct charged Augustin with manslaughter and assault. Following his arraignment in Queens Saturday, Augustin was held without bail, the report said.
The report added that the NYPD’s Hate Crime Task Force is not yet investigating the incident, which they believe was caused by a car crash.
PTI

Press Trust of India